Could Pokémon GO change the way stories are told? That’s what we asked the heads of the game.
How much story does Pokémon GO have? There isn’t a large overarching story. Different stories are told for various research, events, or seasons, primarily in text form.
These texts mainly appear in the game as narratives from the professor. Willow usually gives a few sentences for each research – and those who follow along can often read interesting info about the key Pokémon of the research, or sometimes even quite interesting stories.
- For example, there was the story where Willow disappeared into another dimension and was replaced by Rhi.
- Occasionally, you can also find hints about what will happen in the game in the future.
Deviations from the pure text principle are rather rare. Exceptions included the cool Ultra Beast teasers that only appeared on YouTube, or the big mystery about Gierspenst.
What is the problem? Many players have recently reported that they simply skip the professor in Pokémon GO. They don’t catch much of the stories that Pokémon GO wants to tell.
We asked the heads of the game about this.
Developers want to offer players both options
What do the heads say about the story in Pokémon GO? During the Pokémon GO Fest in Madrid, we met Niantic CEO John Hanke and Live Game Director Michael Steranka in a roundtable interview. Besides various other topics, we also discussed the topic of story.
At the GO Fest in Madrid, it was noticeable that at least a few characters besides the professor talked to the trainers to advance the story of the event. That’s why we asked: Is it conceivable that Pokémon GO will change its storytelling in the future, especially since many players simply skip the professor?
“Our philosophy regarding this type of story design is: We know that some players are very interested and formulate theories about why things happen in the game Pokémon GO,” said Steranka: “And some players just want to catch Pokémon.”
So Pokémon GO has different target groups that it needs to serve. “I would love to do more in terms of storytelling,” admits Niantic chief Hanke: “But it is true, you have to maintain the balance. Some people are excited about that, others just want to be right in the action.”
The fact that some players just click through and thus miss out on the story is not a problem for now, according to Steranka: “We want to be able to offer players both. If you’re not that interested in the narrative aspect, you can just quickly tap through, and that’s okay. We want you to make the best use of your time,” said the director.
He also emphasizes: “But the team puts in a lot of thought and effort to build this world and this story. For the players who are interested in it, there is quite a bit to discover.”
As it stands, it doesn’t seem that too much will change in storytelling, at least in the near future – even if Hanke says he would like to do more in that direction. What do you think about the topic? Would you like to see more story elements, like in the Ultra Beast teasers? Or do you not care about the story in Pokémon GO anyway? Let us know in the comments! And what’s coming up next is shown in the overview of all Pokémon GO events in June 2024.
